Flawed
by Demeterr
Summary: With age comes maturity. With maturity is responsibility. With responsibilities, mistakes are made. With mistakes we are reminded that we are flawed. [One Shot] [Hinata.centric]


**Flawed **- With age comes maturity. With maturity is responsibility. With responsibilities, mistakes are made. With mistakes we are reminded that we are flawed.

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Flawed

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_With age comes maturity._  
_With maturity is responsibility._  
_With responsibilities, mistakes are made._  
_With mistakes we are reminded that we are flawed._

His eyes met hers.

White against white.

Yet their eyes were a world apart. His was free of emotion whilst her eyes were burdened by emotions.

"I..." she began, her voice straining before she trailed off.

His gaze locked on her for another moment before he turned and walked away.

"I'm not trash... So stop trying to throw me away," she said softly, even though she knew he was out of earshot.

"Onee-sama," a soft voice murmured, filled with pity.

She remained standing still, like a statue except for the soft rise and fall of her chest.

Two lithe arm wrapped around her lightly," Why must you bring so much pain upon yourself? Why do you continue to burden yourself when you can barely walk with all the weight that is on your shoulders?" Hanabi murmured.

"You shouldn't be here, they will not be pleased that you are in the presences of your _weaker, unworthy sister_," Hinata said, lips twisting into a half smile at the last three words.

Hanabi opened her mouth to answer but Hinata was already out of her reach and moving away.

"You are in the way, move," he snapped harshly, vaguely watching the female not even react. Huffing angrily he continued walking, shoulder colliding with hers as they crossed paths.

Her weight shifted to her left foot to regain her balance, her empty white eyes sweeping to meet his dark ones before she continued walking, acting as if that incident had never occurred.

Knots appeared between his eyebrows as he studied the back of her. As he turned back to the front, his gaze met a pair of similar white eyes, except those were filled with dislike.

"Out of the way Uchiha," the arrogant male voice spoke.

Caught unaware, he shifted ever so slightly to the left and Hyuga Neji hastened passed him, slowing down as he reached the female. Sasuke watched as Neji fell into step beside the girl, hand reaching out to tap her on her shoulder. In response she turned her head to face him for a brief moment before she continued walking, leaving Neji behind.

A flicker of confusion passed through Neji's eyes as he watched his cousin walk away. But that wasn't what confused him. It was the absolute hollow look in his cousin's eye. Eyes that lacked the usual hope they had.

"Hinata!" a loud voice announced, dropping to the ground beside her.

His hand reached to lightly scratch at the red tattoos on his face as he regarded his unusually silent teammate. "Hinata?" he repeated, inclining his head to one side.

She seemed to snap out of whatever caught her attention before, as her blank eyes travelled towards his face before they lost interest again. Kiba looked ready to say something but was silenced by the third member of their team shaking his head at him.

"Are you feeling unwell today Hinata?" Shino asked calmly.

Her pale eyes seemed a little more focused as she shook her head. "No. My physical condition is fine," she answered softly.

Whatever the two males looked ready to ask was interrupted by the appearance of their teacher. Kurenai ran her gaze over her students, red eyes lingering longer on Hinata.

Kurenai began "Hinata," at this Hinata's gaze snapped towards her, "You are required at the hospital. Appears that a fair amount of shinobis have been injured at a recent mission. And-" Before Kurenai could even finish, Hinata had already disappeared.

"You too huh?" a female asked.

"Yea," Hinata answered softly.

Sakura sighed. "I was looking forward to training today as well. It doesn't matter I suppose. I see Sasuke-kun practically every other day of the week," she shrugged. "At least I don't have to put up with Naruto..." she paused as if uncertain. "Oh! Sorry, you like Naruto don't you?" she asked, sounding sincere.

Hinata shook her head. At Sakura's confusion she chose to add. "Not anymore," _I stopped chasing after things I know I will never get. My clan's respect. Naruto's interest. My father's love..._

"Back so soon Sakura?" he asked, inclining his head at his former student.

Sakura gave an absent nod.

"Right then I want you to train with Sasuke then. Best he fight against a strong taijutsu user-" at this Naruto made an outraged sound, "and I am in no mood to fight," Kakashi continued ignoring Naruto.

"Actually I was planning to train with..."Sakura trailed off as she realized that no one was behind her.

"Seems the Hyuga heiress is gone," Kakashi noted.

"I know that..." Sakura answered in a distracted tone. "But..." she trailed off.

He wrinkled his nose. "Your movements are too predictable," he stated.

"Maa, when you were fighting without the Sharingan you had trouble," Naruto said in defence for Sakura.

"Che. This is a waste of my time," Sasuke said arrogantly.

"Then why don't you fight with someone more at your level," Kakashi spoke up, glancing up from his book.

Interest appeared in Sasuke's eyes. "Are you going to fight me?" he asked.

"What gave you that idea? I was suggesting you fight against a Hyuga," Kakashi drawled.

"Apparently Hyuga Neji is away on a mission," Sasuke scowled.

"What about his younger cousin?" Kakashi suggested.

Sasuke merely frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Why don't you fight against the Hyuga heiress?" he asked.

"Don't want to," Sasuke said simply.

"Hm..." Kakashi said thoughtfully.

"That girl... I don't trust her," Sasuke finally spoke up.

Kakashi observed his former student through one half lidded eye. "What isn't to trust about Hinata-sama?" he questioned calmly.

"She seems too quiet... too emotionless," Sasuke answered, attempting to find the right words to describe her.

"She's just shy," Kakashi stated, dark eyes serious despite the lazy half closed look.

"No... There is something else," Sasuke answered, knees bending slightly before he disappeared in a blur.

Once he was out of earshot from his former teacher, he muttered to himself. "She's too withdrawn into herself... she reminds me of Itachi..."

"Onee-sama," she began.

Hinata turned to her younger sister in response. "Because I am flawed," she stated.

Confusion spread of Hanabi's face. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Earlier you asked me... Why must I bring so much pain upon myself and why do I continue to burden yourself..." Hinata explained.

The confusion faded slightly from Hanabi's face. "Flawed?" she echoed.

"I am flawed. I make mistakes. Even though I know what the result will end be, I still put myself through it because a glimmer of hope exists. Because I think that the outcome might change. For that I am a fool. For that I made my mistakes. For that I am flawed," Hinata answered calmly.

"That is why we make mistakes. So that we are reminded that we are not perfect. Reminded that we all are flawed," Hanabi whispered.

The End_  
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_**A/N: This was written when I was fourteen.  
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**2006-03-01 - Flawed published.**  
**2011-02-13 - Slight update to replace line breaks.  
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**-Demeterr**


End file.
